In Freedom's Cause : a Story of Wallace and Bruce eBook

farms were in flames, and the cattle were slaughtered
in their byres, but no attack was made upon the dwelling
houses. The following night Sir John distributed
the whole of his vassals among the farms lying farthest
from the castle, putting twenty men in each; but to
his fury this time it was five homesteads nearer at
hand which were fired. The instant the first outburst
of flame was discovered the retainers hurried to the
spot; but by the time they reached it no sign of the
assailants was visible; the flames had however taken
too good a hold of the various barns and outbuildings
to be extinguished.

Chapter VII The Cave in the Pentlands

John Kerr was well nigh beside himself with fury.

If this was to go on, the whole of his estate would
be harried, his vassals ruined, and his revenues stopped,
and this by a mere handful of foes. Again he
started with his vassals to explore the hills, this
time in parties of ten only, so as to explore thoroughly
a larger space of ground. When at evening the
men returned, it was found that but two men of one
of the parties, composed entirely of men-at-arms from
the castle, came back. They reported that when
in a narrow ravine showers of rocks were hurled down
upon them from both sides. Four of their number
were killed at once, and four others had fallen pierced
by arrows from an unseen foe as they fled back down
the ravine.

“Methinks, Sir John,” Red Roy said, “that
I know the place where the Forbeses may have taken
up their abode. When I was a boy I was tending
a herd of goats far up in the hills, and near the pass
where this mischance has today befallen us I found
a cave in the mountain’s side. Its entrance
was hidden by bushes, and I should not have found
it had not one of the goats entered the bush and remained
there so long that I went to see what he was doing.
There I found a cave. The entrance was but three
feet high, but inside it widened out into a great
cavern, where fifty men could shelter. Perchance
Archie Forbes or some of his band may also have discovered
it; and if so, they might well think that no better
place of concealment could be found.”

“We will search it tomorrow,” the knight
said. “Tell the vassals to gather here
three hours before daybreak. We will start so
as to be there soon after sunrise. If they are
on foot again tonight they will then be asleep.
Did you follow the cave and discover whether it had
any other entrances beyond that by which you entered?”

“I know not,” the henchman replied; “it
goes a long way into the hills, and there are several
inner passages; but these I did not explore, for I
was alone and feared being lost in them.”

The next night some more homesteads were burnt, but
this time the vassals did not turn out, as they had
been told to rest until the appointed hour whatever
might befall.